Speaker Highlights


DAY ONE KEYNOTE: Thursday, August 11th 9 – 10:30 a.m.


William H. "Bill" Thomas, MD

William H. "Bill" Thomas, MD - Author and Physician
"LIVING into Elderhood"

Every morning all across America, people peer into bathroom mirrors, searching for signs of age. No line, no blemish is overlooked. We dread the appearance of those little lines at the corners of our mouths and eyes, and then we console ourselves with the thought that, really, they are hardly noticeable. Still we know the truth. We are getting older – every day one day older. This session will provide insight into the direction our society has taken related to aging. Dr Bill Thomas earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School. In 1991 he pioneered the culture change methods and philosophy that would become known, worldwide as "the Eden Alternative," an alternative approach to the care of frail elders. In the early 2000's he developed a new model of care that is designed to "make nursing homes obsolete-" The Green House Model. In 2006 he was awarded a prestigious Heinz Award for the Human Condition. His most recent groundbreaking book, What Are Old People For? will forever change the way we think about aging. Thomas says, "People of all ages will live better lives when we succeed in bringing elders back to the heart of our society." Dr Thomas and his wife have five children and live in Ithaca, NY.

DAY TWO PLENARY: Friday, August 12, 2011


Patch Adams

Patch Adams MD - "The Joy of Caring"

This inspirational talk includes much dialogue to explore burnout prevention for caregivers. The focus of this lecture/workshop is the magic and power of care, not only in the patient's life, but also in the caregiver's life. Patch Adams, MD is both a medical doctor and a clown…but he is also a social activist who has devoted 30 years to changing America's healthcare system, a system which he describes as expensive and elitist. He believes that laughter, joy, and creativity are an integral part of the healing process and therefore true healthcare must incorporate such life. Doctors and patients in his model relate to

Robin williams starring as Patch Adams
Robin Williams starred as Patch Adams in a 1998 movie about Patch's colorful and inspiring life
each other on the basis of mutual trust, and patients receive plenty of time from their doctors. Allopathic doctors and practitioners of alternative medicine will work side by side in Patch's model. If you think that all sounds like a utopian impossibility, it isn't. Patch and his colleagues practiced medicine at the Gesundheit Institute together in West Virginia that way for 12 years in what Patch refers to as their "pilot project." In that time they saw 15,000 patients. From that experience onward Patch Adams has devoted his life to the study of what makes people happy.



DAY ONE PLENARY:
Thursday, August 11th 2:30 – 3:45 p.m.

Kay Frances

Kay Francis, MBA - "The Funny Thing about Stress"


In "The Funny Thing about Stress," which is also the title for her book, Kay Frances offers a healthy dose of laughter that can be just what the doctor ordered for your well-being. In this motivational and hilarious presentation, you'll laugh while you learn without straining your brain. Armed with a degree in Physical Education and a masters in business administration (MBA), Kay Frances has worked as director of marketing for a national restaurant chain in Oklahoma. Later she left corporate America and spent several years working as a professional standup comedian. Kay lived and performed in New York City where she learned to face her fears and manage her stress. When family duty called, Kay returned to Ohio and became her mother's primary caregiver. Kay's years as a stand-up comedian convinced her of humor's power to reduce stress. She learned first-hand the healing effects of humor as she and her mother found a way to laugh every day. Never far from her standup comedy roots, has she enjoyed helping people laugh while they learn! http://www.kayfrances.com/

DAY TWO KEYNOTE:
Friday, August 12th 9 – 10 a.m.

Josepha Campinha-Bacote

Josepha Campinha-Bacote, PhD, MAR, PMHCNS-BC, CTN-A, FAAN
"Listening to Many Voices – Serving a Diverse Aging Population"


In this presentation, Dr. Campinha-Bacote answers the question, "What does it mean to be a culturally competent healthcare professional?" by taking healthcare professionals on a personal journey towards cultural competence in healthcare delivery. Dr. Campinha-Bacote discusses clinical application of her model's constructs of cultural desire, cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, cultural skill, & cultural encounters as it relates to the provision of care to the culturally and ethnically diverse aging population. Dr. Campinha-Bacote is President and Founder of Transcultural C.A.R.E. Associates, which provides clinical, administrative, research, and educational services related to transcultural health care and mental health issues. She has given more than 1,000 national and international presentations on issues concerning transcultural health care and transcultural psychiatry and has published numerous articles in these specialty areas. Dr. Campinha-Bacote served on the National Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health to develop standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health Care and currently serves as a consultant to the National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) in Washington, DC and on several HRSA grants focusing on cultural competence in the health professions.